Download “Adaptations in audiovisual fiction production in Europe”

A new report “Adaptations in audiovisual fiction production in Europe” has just been published by the European Audiovisual Observatory, part of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. The report analyses adaptations in audiovisual fiction production in Europe in the period 2015-2022. The purpose is to provide figures and context related to the audiovisual content boom.

This new report finds that

• 12% of all AV fiction works produced in Europe between 2015-2022 were adaptations. 
• Streamers offer more adaptations than broadcasters  (19% for streamers, 13% for private and 11% for public broadcasters). 
• Most fiction adaptations are based on books (77%) and TV series (17%). 

Streamers offer more adaptations than broadcasters

12% of all AV fiction works produced in Europe between 2015 and 2022 were adaptations - the equivalent of 1 189 film and TV series adaptations. On average, over 140 titles and more than 1 000 hours of AV fiction adaptations are produced each year in Europe. Overall, their share remained stable between 2015 and 2022. Streamers offer more adaptations than broadcasters. Their share was higher (19%) than that for private (13%) and public broadcasters (11%).

The United Kingdom has the highest share of adaptations among works of AV fiction produced in the country (26%), followed by France (18%), Sweden (17%), Spain (16%) and Italy (15%).

Most AV fiction adaptations are either series with 13-episodes-or-less-per-season (58%) or TV films and collections (36%).

Most fiction adaptations are based on books and TV series

Most fiction adaptations are based on books (77%) and TV series (17%). Book adaptations increased by 27% from 2015 to 2022 together with the growth of productions.

More than half of all AV fiction adaptation titles produced in Europe are based on originals from the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Spain (61%). And around one in 10 AV fiction adaptation titles produced in Europe is based on a non-European original (12%).

Books used for AV fiction adaptations are mainly domestic (81%) while TV series are mostly international (93%). TV series from Israel, Australia, New Zealand and Canada account for the most prominent originals among non-European TV series.

Most AV fiction adaptations based on books are works first published in the 21st century (66%). Adapted books first published in the 20th century accounted for 29% and pre-20th -century books represented 5%.

The Norwegian TV series “SKAM” has the highest number of remakes in six European countries. Other popular adapted TV series include Israeli בטיפול / BeTipul (In Therapy) and Belgian Professor T. with remakes in four European countries each.

The share of adaptations among AV fiction co-productions is double the size (23%) of those that were not co-produced.